The Young Miss Refuse To Love-Chapter 81: I miss you

"I could’ve just sent you the file through WeChat—why all the fuss to meet up?" Qi Jianyi asked as she settled on the seat opposite Song Chengfeng. Her tone was casual, but her eyes hinted at genuine curiosity.

After finishing the final touches on her manuscript, Qi Jianyi had called him, ready to let him be her first ready, but he’d been adamant that they meet face-to-face. Thus, they were at a cozy little restaurant for lunch.

"I just wanted to see you." Song Chengfeng replied, his voice carrying that familiar shamelessness that both amused and exasperated her. He picked up the menu, glancing at it briefly before handing it over to her.

"You choose," he added, as if it were the most natural thing to let her choose.

Qi Jianyi rolled her eyes, flipping open the menu. "We just saw each other last week, Chengfeng. You act like it’s been months."

Unfazed, Song Chengfeng smiled, but his expression turned serious as he observed her closely.

"How have you been?" he asked, his eyes narrowing a little as he examined her face. "Have you been sick?"

Qi Jianyi blinked, momentarily surprised by his question. "No, I’m fine. Why?"

Song Chengfeng frowned, his gaze steady and unyielding. "You look... paler than usual," he said, unable to shake his concern. "Something feels off, Jianyi."

She raised an eyebrow, amused by his insistence. "What, do you keep track of my complexion now?" she teased, her voice lighthearted, but there was a trace of something unspoken behind her smile.

Song Chengfeng didn’t bite back with his usual wit. Instead, he kept his eyes on her, studying her face as if searching for answers she wasn’t ready to give.

"I notice things about you, even the things you try to hide," he murmured.

His remark made Qi Jianyi chuckle, breaking through her reserved demeanor. Song Chengfeng always had this way of disarming her, catching her off guard with his observations. Somehow, he noticed things about her that others didn’t.

"Young Master Song, don’t overthink it," she replied, waving a hand dismissively. "I’m perfectly fine. Just didn’t get enough sleep." She forced a lighthearted smile, hoping he wouldn’t pry further.

In truth, though, she wasn’t as fine as she claimed. She’d been dealing with worsening headaches, spells of dizziness that sometimes left her feeling like she might pass out. But this wasn’t something she could—or wanted to—explain. It felt easier to brush it off, to keep up appearances.

Turning the focus away from herself, she asked, "What about you? How have you been?" She kept her tone casual, signaling to the waiter as she selected her order.

"Bad," Song Chengfeng replied without missing a beat.

She raised her eyebrows, surprised by his bluntness. "Why’s it bad?"

"Because you kept refusing to go out with me." His tone was serious, as though he’d taken genuine offense to her previous rejections.

She stifled a grin, closing the menu and handing it to the waiter before facing him again. "Well, aren’t we out together now?"

Song Chengfeng gave her a look, acting as if the mere fact of her finally meeting him didn’t quite make up for all the times she’d said no before.

"Alright, alright, I admit I was wrong. So please, stop giving me that look?" Qi Jianyi finally relented, flashing a small, resigned smile.

She knew he had every reason to be a bit annoyed. After all, she was the one who kept turning down his invitations. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go out—it was simply that her body, weakening over the past few days, hadn’t allowed her to keep up.

"Actually," she added, softening her tone and trying her best to look charming, "my cousin came over the other day and tried to get his hands on the manuscript. But I guarded it with my life so that you could be the first one to read it."

She clasped her hands together, leaning forward slightly. "So, consider that my apology, alright?"

Song Chengfeng’s resolve crumbled, his expression softening as he sighed in playful defeat. As always, her charms had worked.

"Alright, send it to me. I’ll read all of it tonight," he replied, trying to cover the happiness in his voice.

Qi Jianyi raised an eyebrow, smirking. "No need to rush. There’s no deadline anyway so take your time."

Song Chengfeng shook his head, dismissing her suggestion. "No, tonight is all I need," he insisted, his determination clear.

She couldn’t help but chuckle, amused at his eagerness. "Suit yourself. Just don’t come complaining to me when you’re up all night reading."

Hearing her teasing words, Song Chengfeng looked at her closely, taking in the playful smile that danced across her face. For a moment, he couldn’t help but feel his own lips curve up in response.

"I miss you."

The words slipped out with surprising ease, catching both of them off guard. But what left Qi Jianyi momentarily stunned was the sincerity in his tone—a quiet confession that held no trace of humour or hesitation.

Song Chengfeng’s voice was deep and steady, the tone of someone who once carried command. As a former soldier, he was accustomed to giving orders with an air of seriousness that left little room for doubt.

But here, with her, there was a subtle gentleness in his voice, a tension that betrayed his nerves.

Song Chengfeng didn’t know what Qi Jianyi thought or felt half the time. She was a puzzle that remained just out of reach. Each time he thought he was close to understanding her or capturing her heart, she would draw back, slipping from his grasp and leaving him questioning everything.

Just like now.

When Song Chengfeng said those words—words usually reserved for lovers—he noticed the faintest flicker in her expression. Her lashes trembled as she blinked, almost nervously. It hadn’t been like this before.

Song Chengfeng remembered the first time he confessed. Qi Jianyi had looked at him with eyes as empty as stone, her expression impassive, as though his words were nothing but a breeze that barely brushed her. He’d felt the sting of that indifference, a distance he wasn’t sure he could ever bridge.

But over time, he learned something about her—a hidden vulnerability.

Patience was the key.

The more he held back, letting her come to him in her own time, the more he could see her resolve waver. Qi Jianyi, usually so composed, would sometimes pause, as if his presence had finally made its mark.

It wasn’t yet love. He knew that. But even this small victory—knowing he could stir something in her—was enough. It was a start, a slow progress Song Chengfeng gladly took, all for a chance to be closer to the woman he couldn’t give up on.

It might not be her feelings towards him. But, knowing that he could influence Qi Jianyi somewhat, even a little, made Song Chengfeng happy at the progress.

"Your words have become smoother since we last met," Qi Jianyi commented, trying to divert the growing warmth she felt under his steady gaze.

Song Chengfeng chuckled, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Does that mean you like it?"

She tried to hold back her laugh, biting her lip as a playful glint shone in her eyes. "Maybe."

"Then I’ll just have to keep improving," he replied smoothly, his sharp gaze catching the tiny smile she tried to hide. There was a hint of pride in his voice, as if he was savoring this small victory.

She rolled her eyes, exasperated by his relentless charm. "Enough with the charm, Young Master Song."

But her smile lingered, softening her tone, betraying that maybe, just maybe, she didn’t mind his smooth words as much as she claimed. She just refused to admit it.

"Well, you like it. So I don’t see myself stopping at all." Song Chengfeng leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table as the waiter returned with their dishes.

Qi Jianyi rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips. "You’re so full of yourself." She took a sip of her drink, her eyes lingering on him with a hint of amusement.

Around them, the restaurant buzzed with the usual clatter of conversation and silverware, but a few curious glances drifted toward their table. The subtle flicker of admiration and envy was hard to miss. Two people, both attractive in their own right, exchanging playful banter or flirting—there was no way they didn’t stand out.

But neither of them paid any attention to the eyes of others. Song Chengfeng was far too focused on Qi Jianyi, his gaze unwavering and intent, while she, lost in his words and his presence, was too amused by his antics to notice the attention they were drawing.

It wasn’t that they were unaware of the effect they had on others. It was simply that neither of them cared. The world around them, full of glances and whispers, seemed distant and irrelevant when they were together.

It was just them, their conversation, and the growing comfort in each other’s company.

This was something that Qi Jianyi herself failed to notice—the way she seemed to lock herself in a world where only they existed. His words, his actions, his every expression had a magnetic pull on her, distracting her from the thoughts and worries that usually crowded her mind. fгeewёbnoѵel_cσm

It was as if, in those moments spent with Song Chengfeng, the rest of the world faded away. The weight of her problems, the nagging uncertainty, all seemed to vanish in the ease of their conversation. The cold, serious demeanor of the man she once saw as distant and unapproachable had become something that, in its own way, brought her comfort.

For a brief while, Qi Jianyi forgot about everything else. There was only the lightness between them, the laughter, the teasing, and a fleeting sense of peace that made the complexities of her life feel more distant.

Not to mention Song Chengfeng, who only had his eyes on the woman he loved. To Qi Jianyi, her tendency to ignore the world around them might have felt like something recent, a newfound distraction in their interactions. But for Song Chengfeng, it was something far deeper.

It was the moment he saw Qi Jianyi at the party, he had locked his eyes on her and the world seemed to fade for a little where he could no longer hear the curiosity of others. Yet, he didn’t realise anything at the time.

He hadn’t been able to look away since. Every word, every glance, every small gesture of hers felt like a thread pulling him closer. And now, as they sat across from each other, laughing and teasing, Song Chengfeng realised that the world still faded away when he was with her.

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